Jim Gilmore bloggers conference today

New Media Strategies sponsored a brick-and-mortar/phone press conference with Governor Jim Gilmore Monday afternoon. With 25 bloggers in the room and another half dozen on the phone, Jim Gilmore had the opportunity to address familiar issues and to address issues that were raised by those participating in the conference.

I would like to thank New Media Strategies for the invitation to sit in (by phone) on what I consider to be one of the better phone conferences I have participated in. It was, by no means, the first time Gov. Gilmore has met with the bloggers; in fact, this was probably the fourth or fifth time since the nomination process was decided. He has been very accessible.

The Governor has an understanding of the internet and bloggers, having chaired a committee that studied the possibility of internet taxation for three years. Not only did the committee debate the pros and cons of taxing the internet ... and, thankfully, they decided against doing that ... they created new policies on internet technology.

He also understands the importance of the internet in communication. Communication, he said, is everything ... especially in politics where it is essential to get the word out ... disseminate information ... be in touch with the citizens. Communication goes to the heart of it all. Bloggers are able to get the message to the people in a way the mainstream media cannot and often will not. Bloggers can begin a conversation and have ongoing debate while print media is limited in what it can do.

He reiterated his stand as he did at Saturday's debate at the Homestead ... trust and energy are his biggest concerns because the people of Virginia are in distress and expressed concern over high gas prices preventing home purchases and cutting deeply into their financial resources.

But the question that I found the most interesting was from a blogger who wanted to know what we should be doing for terrorism preparedness on the home front that we are not doing. Since Gov. Gilmore had chaired the Gilmore Commission on Terrorism prior to 9/11, he was very well-versed on what he felt we should be doing to be prepared for future attacks, and my interest is probably in the fact that homeland security is my number one issue.

Communication again came up ... he said the bloggers and the internet would be vital in disseminating information about a threat. He said people needed to be alerted to the nature of an attack, what to expect, and how to respond if there is an attack because it needed to be put it in the proper perspective to avoid panic. The internet could be essential to getting the word out.

Gilmore, who blogs at the Virginia Patriot and who was the only presidential candidate to have a blog last year, said he saw no reason to stop blogging if elected to the U.S. Senate because blogging offers a way to reach out and talk with people.

He talked a long while on energy and the need for the U.S. to become energy independent by drilling for oil and gas in ANWR and off-shore. The Chinese, after all, are drilling with the Cubans off our coast and, with 112 billion barrels of oil available in the U.S., drilling must be done. Other energy resources to be developed include conservation of energy, alternative resources such as wind power and solar, the use of coal and other natural resources, nuclear power, and building refineries. But the heart of the matter, he said, is to bring in that domestic oil that is available in the U.S.

Great phone conference, great opportunity to hear from Gov. Gilmore, and again I'd like to thank New Media Strategies for the invitation.

Cross-posted at SWAC Girl
Jim Gilmore for Senate